Gate-latch.



PATENTED MAY '7," 1907.

' G. H. FOSTER.

GATE LATCH. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1906.

CHARLES H. FOSTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fermented Flay 7, 1907.

Application filed December 28, 1905. Serial No. 293,589.

To II/H/ [ch/om 1 may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. FosTEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate- Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in gate-latches; and it consists in the novel construction of latch more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical cross section taken through the gate on the line l l of Fig. 2, showing the latch in side elevation and in engagement with the keeper on the post, the keeper showing in end view; Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1 looking toward the left; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the keeper relative to the pivot of the latch before any sagging in the gate takes place, the dotted portion showing the manner of engagement between the keeper and latch as the latter begins to ride over the keeper; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the keeper relative to the pivot of the latch after the gate has sagged.

The object of my invention is to construct a grav ty gate-latch which will allow for a maximum sag in the gate without the necessity for adjustment ofthe latch on account of the sag; one which will positively arrest Without the use of springs any rebound of the gate when the latter is swung to a closed position with undue force; one which is hog-- proof; one which is cheap, simple, easy to manufacture, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed description of the invention which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a plate provided with lateral wings 2, 2, formed integrally therewith, the plate and wings having a socket 3 formed therein for the hinge-pin 4 of the latch 5. The latch is first pivotally mounted in the socket 3 when a rear plate 1 is laid over the plate 1, both plates being then secured to the gate G by means of screws as shown. Formed with one of the wings 2 is a horizontally projecting arm or post 6 intended to encounter the keeper 7 should a hog attempt to raise the gate to disengage the latch from the keeper.

The keeper 7 consists of an arm pro ecting from a base 8 screwed to the fence post P, the keeper presenting an inclined face to the curved or riding edge of the head 5 of the latch, said rounded edge riding over the inclined face of the keeper as the gate is closing, when the latch eventually drops over the keeper causing the latter to pass inside the hook 5 of the latch.

The latch is provided with a lower arm or extension 5 which is removed from the edge of the hook 5 a sufficient distance to allow the keeper to pass behind the hook. Should the momentum of a swiftly closing gate trip the latch upwardly to an extent to prevent the hook from dropping in front of the keeper in time to arrest the rebound of the gate, the arm 5 in such sudden upward lift of the latch will come in contact with the lower edge of the keeper, thus returning the latch in time to cause the hook to pass over the keeper and thus effectively arrest the rebound aforesaid. So that the arrest of the rebound is accomplished without the use of springs as previously stated. Projecting from the base of the inclined face of the keeper is a triangular piece 9 having two of its sides at right angles to each other. In securing the keeper to the post P, the piece is adjusted so as to bring the upper edge of the piece 9 to a truly horizontal position, or at right angles to the hinge axis of the gate, when the keper will be in proper position to be secured to the post.

The present latch conforms itself to amaximum amount of sag for the gate, it being possible for the hook to drop vertically below the hinge-axis of the latch to the same extent that it can raise above such axis, for an operating position. Thus in Fig. 1, the hook is considerably below the hinge-axis or pin 4, this being the position for a gate newly hung. In the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 3, the top of the keeper normally occupies a position below the hinge pin 4 equal to the dis tance of the line a from said pin in Fig. 4 the top of the keeper (after sagging of the gate) occupies a position above the hinge pin 4 equal to the distance of the line a from said pin. Therefore the gate may sag through a space represented by the sum of the distances of a and a from the hinge-pin, and the IIO latch be still operative. In Fig. 4 the dotted representation on the extreme left shows the latch in the act of riding over the keeper; the full position represents the latch in actual engagement; and the upper right-hand dotted position shows the distance the latch may still be swung to disengage it from the keeper for purposes of opening the gate.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a gate latch, a gravity latch, means for pivotally mounting the same, a hook at one end thereof, an arm forming a part of the latch and spaced a permanent distance from the hook and normallylocated below the same, and a keeper normally depressed below the hinge axis of the latch cooperating with the hook and adapted to arrest the arm for an undue oscillation of the latch in an upward direction, substantially as set forth.

2. A latch comprising a body portion terminating at one end in a head having a curved riding edge, a hook at the lower end of said edge, a keeper normally depressed below the hinge axis of the latch adapted to present a suitable surface for the free play of said edge, and an arm or lower extension spaced a permanent distance from the hook and forming a part of said latch adapted to be arrested by the keeper for an undue upward oscillation of the latch, substantially as set forth.

3. A latch comprising a body portion terminating at one end in a head having a curved riding edge, a hook at the lower end of said edge, a keeper normally depressed below the hinge axis of the latch adapted to present an inclined face to the play of said riding edge, an arm or extension spaced a permanent distance from the hook and; forming a part of said latch adapted to be arrested by the keeper, and a post on the gate in connection with the latch adapted to come under the keeper for arresting an upward movement of the gate, substantially as set forth.

4. A latch having a hook terminating one end thereof, a basal arm or extension carried by the latch and permanently spaced from the hook, thereby forming a passage with said hook for the free play of a keeper, and means for pivoting the latch at a point opposite said passage, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, MARY D. WHITOOMB. 

